The mentality of Chinese Imperialism is that when a mutual tyrant has been defeated, a Chinese will have to become the new tyrant to rule his former comrades in arms.

1. Different mentalities in different cultures.

There is a Western fable about an Old Woman wishing longevity to a ruling Tyrant: The tyrant questioned her “Why do you want me blessed why all others want me cursed”. Her reply was “Every time we get a new tyrant, things get worse”. Chinese Imperialist mentality can never understand this humour.

Indeed, Western influenced Vietnamese from the South always have good laughs at the irony of “Thank God, Our tyrant is gone. I am your new tyrant”, while Chinese influenced Vietnamese from the North always ask why do people from the South laugh.

2. Historically recorded Chinese actions based on their policy of “Thank God, Our tyrant is gone. I am your new tyrant”.

2a- When the Mongolian forces attacked Northern China, Vietnamese Kings of Tran dynasty at that time were more on the side of Southern Song of China. However when the Yuan (Mongolian) empire has disintegrated, the Ming dynasty of China wanted to be the heir in succession to the empire, wanted and made many attempt to force Vietnam to be its colony. China was not successful until a Ho Quy Ly usurped the throne of the Viet King but subsequently surrendered to China. China’s rule on Vietnam was later overthrown by the Vietnamese hero of modest origin Le Loi, who later proclaimed himself to be King of Dai Nam (old name of Vietnam).

2b- After the Quin empire was dissolved, the Peking government wanted to be the heir in succession of the empire and wanted to force Outer Mongolia to be a vassal state of China. The “President” of Mongolia replied to Chinese demand:

“The empire had been dissolved, you go back to your own country (China) and each country runs its own affairs.”

China threatened a military invasion. Fortunately for Outer Mongolia, it got the backing of USSR. The threatened military invasion of Outer Mongolia by China was neutralized by the military might of USSR.

2c- After the Quin empire was dissolved, the Peking government wanted to be the heir in succession of the empire and wanted to force Tibet to be a vassal state of China. The Tibetan leaders refused. China threatened a military invasion.

Unfortunately for Tibet, it was alone and got invaded and occupied by China.

2d- After the Japanese empire surrendered at the end of WW2, it relinquished all controls and sovereignty claims on all occupied lands. The collaborating (?) Chinese local government in Taiwan denounced Japan for the Nanking massacre but wanted to keep on having the Paracel and Spratly groups of islands annexed from Vietnam by Japanese empire in WW2.

3. Serious threat to peace and stability by Chinese policy of “Thank God, Our tyrant is gone. I am your new tyrant”.

Having failed to convince many nations with FALSE information that China administered the Paracel and Spratly groups of islands since antiquity, China then FALSELY claimed that they had been given to China by France.

The second attempt by China also failed and China now wants to apply its laughable justification of “Thank God, Our tyrant is gone. I am your new tyrant” to keep the groups of islands annexed by the Japanese Empire from Vietnam and incorporated into Taiwan while denouncing any Japanese annexation of Chinese territory.

In 1938 Japan took the islands from France, garrisoned them, and built a submarine base at Itu Aba (now Taiping / 太平) Island. In 1941, the Japanese Empire made the Paracel and Spratly islands part of Taiwan, then under its rule.[88]
After World War II, Nationalist China reaffirmed its sovereignty over the islands in the South China Sea, and dispatched a patrol force to the islands, but this was challenged by the French…

In 1951, at the international Treaty of San Francisco conference, Vietnam’s representative claimed that both the Paracels and Spratlys are territories of Vietnam, and was met with no challenge from all nations at the event. However, neither the PRC nor the ROC participated in the conference. Separately, the ROC negotiated and signed its own treaty with Japan regarding the islands on April 29, 1952.

4. Conclusions

When allying with China against any mutual tyrant, the smaller nations must be aware of China’s ambition and must have plans to deal with their Chinese ally (such as suddenly forcing a disarmament of the “ally” to force the withdrawal of Chinese troops after peace).

Many small Asian nations are now taking on huge risk allying with China against some unworthy grievance or nuisances.

USA is now learning to its own cost for having a hubris to stand over the Soviet Union against its plan to denuclearize China, for allying with China against the less aggressive opponent Soviet Union, and for transferring (through claims of “thefts from USA”) of nuclear and missile, defense technology.